Valerian: A Movie of a Thousand Unfair Reviews (Spoiler-Free)

Luc Besson is one of my favorite directors. Ever since seeing "Leon" (The Professional) in college I've been a big fan. I ate up La Femme Nikita (the French movie, not the American remake or the series- though they both had their merits), The Big Blue (though I didn't realize it was his), and the Fifth Element. I was so-so on The Messenger (I love the end, though), and I really was not a fan of Lucy (have never gotten through it)—but I guess my point is that I've been watching his movies for a long time.

Mr. Besson was a fan of Valerian since he was 8 years old (according to the Holywood Reporter), and I'm sure that for him this movie was a labor of love. I can almost imagine him giddy with excitement as he made it (though I wasn't there so who knows?) The film got derided in the US and made a mere $41 million on a budget of $184.6 million—a flop, though it did more than make its money back abroad. I remember it getting panned in the media here, but after seeing it I can honestly say that at least some of the criticism was unwarranted. It did suffer a bit from having a "too full" feeling, and the romance plot wound up being a distraction rather than an addition to the story (which I think was Mr. Besson's trying to do justice to the romantic tension the characters in the comics have. He would have done better to make it more of a work-place relationship that developed tension more naturally), but aside from that it's a pretty solid sci-fi movie.

The characters are a bit cartoonish, though maybe that's not a surprise considering the source material, but the themes and concepts in the movie are pretty good. It's gorgeous, too. With the visual effects being quite spectacular. Valerian really shines, however, in its weirdness. Much like the 5th Element, the universe of Valerian is filled with bizarre sights and aliens that feel, well, alien and not just human-but-different. The tech is pretty wild as well, including machines that combine inter-dimensional physics with technology in ways I don't think would be seen or even written about in your average sci-fi.

This could be where Mr. Besson went wrong, at least for the American audience. Without a strong interpersonal story to latch onto, what's left is a weird world that feels like it's all spectacle and strangeness to someone not steeped in the Spice. However, if you do appreciate strange new worlds, and can tolerate some admittedly bad romance-story choices, then you might find Valerian is an enjoyable watch.